Improvement in button-hole sewing-machines



w. B. BARTRAiVI;

Sewing Machine.

Patented Nov. 7; 1865.

lY/T/VESSES ""e fivPE T0 m V W041 54021;

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrren.

WALKER B. BARTRAM, OF BEDDING, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND HENRY B. FANTON,OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUTTON-HOLE SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,870, dated November7, 1865.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be. it known that I, WALKER B. BARTRAM. ofIteddiug,in the county ofFairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain Im provementsin SewingMachines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention consists of certain improvements attached to asewing-machine, to adapt it to making butto11holes,as hereinafter morefully described.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top view of a sewing machine with myimprovement attached. Fig.2 is an end viewof the same. Fig. 3 isavertical longitudinal section of the front part of the machine throughthe line mm, Fig. 2.

The general construction of the machine to which my improvements arerepresented as being attached is that of the well-known \Vheeler 85Wilson sewing-machine.

In my improved machine the cloth-plate A is keptin place upon thesupportsBB by screws C,passing through slots D in the said plate, so asto allow the plate to have a backward-andforward motion to enable thestitch to be transferred alternately from the cloth to the slit whichforms the button-hole, as hereinafter more fully described.

The playof the plate Ais regulated bystops on the under side of theplate acting against the supports 13 B, one of which stops is shown atE, Fig. 2.

To the eccentric-strap F is attached, in the manner represented inFig.2, an arm, H, which, as the eccentric revolves, takes hold of one ofthe teeth of the spur-wheel I and turns it, for the purpose hereinafterstated.

The spur-wheel I is double, or rather the half of said wheel which isshown in Fig. 2 is furnished with a set of teeth which are one-half thesize of the teeth of the other half. (Shown in section in Fig.3.) Saidspur-=wheel Iis pivoted to a standard attached to the bed-plate of themachine, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3.

J is a catch attached to the under side of the plate A, as shown in Fig.3, which saidcatch has a projection catching into the larger set ofteeth of the wheel I.

K is a rod or bar extending across the ma chine and resting against thesupports B B, as shown in Fig. 3.

To the bar K, uearits ends, and to thelower side of theplate A, areattached two springs, one of which is shown at L, Fig. 3.

It is a stop-lever, which is attached or pivoted to the under side ofthe plateAin such a way that it may at will be moved forward against theend of the teed-bar and stop the feed of the machine, when required.

To the upper side of theplate A, beneaththe presserM,is attached a smallcircular plate,N, providcdwith slots for the passage of the needle andfeed.

0 is a cloth-holder for holding the cloth in which the button-hole is tobe made. The ends of this cloth-holder are semicircular, but the sidesare straight,as represented in Fig.1. Its central part is also cut away,so as to form a slot with circular ends. Said slot is of such a size asto exactly tit the smallcircular plate N and allow the holder 0 to slidealong the top of the plate 1, and to be turned around thereon, thecircular plate N being all the time within the slot of saidcloth-holder.

P is a guide attached to the top of the plate A, and at a distance fromthe circular plateN equal to the breadth of the side of said holder,between the outer edge of the slot and the outer edge of said holder, soas to guide the holder as it slides along the plateA and is turned aboutthe circular plate N.

The upper side of the cloth-holder O is furnished with projecting pinsto keep the cloth from changing its position upon said clothholder whilethe button-hole is being made. Button-holes of any size may be made onthis holder 0 by beginning at the inner end of the button-hole, workingaround the outer end, and back to the place of beginning; or a setofholders may be provided graduated in size to the size of the intendedbutton-hole.

In formingabutton-holeitisnecessary,where a square end is needed inorder to strengthen it, to bar the ends. To do this the extent of thebackward-and-tbrward motion of the plate A must be doubled. This isaccomplished as follows: The stop-lever R is forced up against the endof the feed-bar, so as to force the feed away from the cam whichoperates said feed and stop the feed. Then, by pulling upon the ring orhandle of the catch J, I increase the throw of the plate A, the stops Epreventing theplate from moving farther thanjustenough to double thelength of the stitch and allow the barring to extend from the outer rowof stitches on one side of the button-hole to the outer rowof stitcheson theother side of the button-hole, thus finishing and strengtheningits ends.

Operation: As the eccentric draws-the end of the eccentric-rod forwardand raises it to operate the needle it also throws forward and raisesthearm H, which forward-and-upward motion causes the arm H to take' holdof one of the smaller teeth of the wheel I andrevol es said wheel onenotch. This partial revolution of the wheel Icauses the projection ofthe catch J to slide up the inclined side of one of the larger teeth ofthe wheel I, and leaves said projection resting upon the broad end ofthe tooth instead of being in the notch between two teeth. This movesthe plate A, thecloth-holder O, and the cloth forward,-so that the nextstitch will be taken within the slitfor the button-hole instead ofbeingtaken through the cloth. The next revolution of the eccentric causes thearm H. to revolve the wheel I one notch farther. This brings theprojection of the catch J into the next notclnbetween the larger teethof the wheel I, and allows the plate A, the cloth-holder O,and the clothto bedrawn back by the springs, one of which is shown at L. The stitchis now taken through thecloth, and so on continuously until thebutton-holeis completed. hen the end of the button-hole is reached, if asquare end is needed, it is strengthened and barred across the end bystopping the feed by means of the stop-lever R and doubling the throw ofthe plate A by operating said plate by means of the ring or handle ofthe catch J, as hereinbefore described.

I claim 1. The combination of the arm H with the wheelI and theeccentric of the driving-shaft, orits equivalent, of a sewing-machine,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the wheel I with the arm H and the catch J,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the catch J with the wheel I and the plate A,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the cloth-holder) with the movable plate A and thecircular plate N, substantially as described, and for the purpose setforth.

5. The combination of the guide P with the movable plate A and thecloth-holder 0, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the plate A with the wheel I and the springs L, orequivalent, to give an alternate backward-and-forward motion to theplate A, substantially as described, and to the effect stated.

7. The combination of the stop-lever R with the feed-bar ofasewing-machine, substantially as described, and for the purpose setforth.

WALKER B. BARTRAM.

Witnesses H. VVIcKHAM How, JAMES T. GRAHAM.

